Emilia Pardo Bazan/Las medias rojas

Out of all of the Bazan short stories we read for class, I was most intrigued by "Las medias rojas." In my opinion there are some very clear markers of realism in this particular story. For instance, the importance of psychology can be seen here, and this is one of the ideas we talked about in class in terms of contrasting realism and naturalism. The narrator delves deep into Ildara’s mind, revealing her dreams of living in a society with better circumstances for women and an escape from the bleakness of her own life. Additionally, part of her uncle’s motivations are indicated as well; although the reader is not made to understand entirely his violent disposition against his niece, we do know that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if not for the fact that he’d be alone if he did so. By understanding the unhappiness and loneliness of these two characters, the reader is able to get a sense of each as an individual in a developed way – at least impressively developed for how short the story is. This is another concept of realism as we discussed in class. Also, if realism as defined by Barzan is the idea that human nature is comprised not only of instinct but of aspirations as well, then “Las medias rojas” fits in quite well in the movement. The instincts and actions of Clodio in his abuse of Ildara and the hopes and wishes of the young girl balance each other out and certainly this makes the story a realist story.